Healthy tips for water justice work from leading with love, centering art, and how to do a digital detox!
One of the most mind-blowing facts I learned from my Environmental Chemistry classes during graduate school was that soil, water, and air are not separate, but always interacting to support life on the planet. Similarly, during a recent training on Justice and Ecology by Movement Generation, we reflected on the falsehood that we are a society made up of individuals — rather than relationships — and our lives are defined by individual merit, rather than systems, structures, and patterns. Indeed, we are deeply interconnected and interdependent.
We can’t and don’t actually live in siloes, even if we don’t always see it. As election season looms, summer heats up, and global injustices go unchecked, I can sometimes fall into the “us vs them” trap myself. In those times I need something that reconnects me to a unity mindset and art does that for me. It helps me feel whole again and reminds me of our shared humanity. If art also does that for you, then be sure to check out our new Just Infrastructure video, learn more about our collaboration with amazing artists here, and scroll down for more animated content. I hope this message also inspires you to reconnect with the feeling of unity.
Creators spread the word for water
This month, the Water Hub partnered with creators across the U.S. to talk water–– from infrastructure gaps in the Texas colonias, to PFAS in tribal schools, and beyond on social media. Learn more about how federal funding can tackle come of our water infrastructure challenges from folks including Giiwedin, Christopher Rivas, Leah Thomas, Kweenwerk, Urbanistlive, Anna Le, Alexia Leclercq, and Mari Copeny (aka Little Miss Flint)!
Water we reading
In Love is the Key to Democracy, Michael McAfee illustrates how redesigning unjust systems “requires that we choose love over convenience, power, or the status quo, over comfort, contentment, rules, and social acceptance.” Choosing love is not always easy!
Current-ly
Join our Digital Detox webinar on June 6, 2024, at 10 AM PT/1 PM ET! Learn social media strategies for managing community presence and maintaining safe, productive online conversations. Ideal for organizations focused on racial, social, and environmental justice.
Now streaming
Watch and listen to waterloop’s interview with Color of Water member Alai Reyes-Santos to learn about water justice issues in Oregon, from affordability to accessibility and quality. Addressing these issues requires place-based, community-specific solutions.
Making waves
Meet Splashy and his gang – Arroyo, Gully, and Bog in a new animated series that will teach you how, one year after the Supreme Court ruling that cut protections for streams like him, your clean water might be at risk.
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